1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a novel intermediate transfer member suitable for electrophotography and, more specifically, to an intermediate transfer member comprising A) fluorosilicone or silicone and B) an organic titanate.
2. Background of the Art
In electrophotography, a photoreceptor in the form of a plate, belt, disk, sheet, or drum having an electrically insulating photoconductive element on an electrically conductive substrate is imaged by first uniformly electrostatically charging the surface of the photoconductive element, and then exposing the charged surface to a pattern of light. The light exposure selectively dissipates the charge in the illuminated areas, thereby forming a pattern of charged and uncharged areas, referred to as a latent image. A liquid or solid ink is then deposited in either the charged or uncharged areas to create a toned image on the surface of the photoconductive element.
In some electrophotographic imaging systems, the latent images are formed and developed on top of one another in register in a common imaging region of the photoreceptor. The latent images can be formed and developed in multiple passes of the photoconductor around a continuous transport path (i.e., a multi-pass system). Alternatively, the latent images can be formed and developed in a single pass of the photoconductor around the continuous transport path. A single-pass system enables the multi-color images to be assembled at extremely high speeds relative to the multi-pass pass system. At each color development station, liquid color developers are applied to the photoconductor, for example, by electrically biased rotating developer rolls. The colored liquid developer (or ink) is made of small colored pigment particles dispersed in an insulating liquid (i.e., a carrier liquid). The imaging process can be repeated many times on the reusable photoconductive element.
The visible ink image developed on the photoreceptor can be fixed to the photoreceptor surface or transferred to a surface of a suitable receiving medium such as sheets of material, including, for example, paper, metal, metal coated substrates, composites and the like. In many instances, the visible ink image is transferred first to an intermediate transfer member such as an intermediate transfer belt or intermediate transfer drum before it is transferred to a receiving medium.
The intermediate transfer member should have a high carrier fluid resistance so that it will not swell or dissolve in carrier fluids. Furthermore, the carrier intermediate transfer member should have high chemical durability and suitable dielectric property for efficient transfer of images.
Although there are many different kinds of intermediate transfer members in the art, there is always a need to provide alternative members or to improve the chemical and carrier fluid resistance and transfer efficiency of the intermediate transfer member for various electrophotographic applications.